宗鏡錄 93.3.1

93.3.1

Answer: This gate of the true mark of the one mind is the extremely profound principle of prajñā. If, amidst what is difficult to believe, someone does believe, the Dharma-benefit is boundless, known only to the Buddhas. If anyone slanders it, the sin of slandering prajñā is unsurpassed in its gravity; in the present life they will suffer calamity and in their living body sink into the hells. Why is the retribution received so immense? Because prajñā is the mother of all worldly and world-transcending ordinary beings and sages. It is like the great earth: there is nothing that is not born from the earth. If one slanders it, one slanders all the merit of the Buddha-grounds and the Three Jewels. Just so, among all sentient beings in the ten dharmadhātus, whether rising or falling, foolish or wise, there are none who do not come forth from within prajñā. If they did not receive the majestic radiance of prajñā, in truth not a single speck of dust could be established. As a Prajñā Sūtra states: "If one wishes for nobility, sovereignty, and so forth up to attaining bodhi, one should train in prajñā." It also states: "If one wishes to possess the six sense organs in full, one should train in prajñā," and even ghosts and animals must also be complete [in their faculties], because these ghosts and animals all come from training in prajñā. Hence we know that not believing in the Mirror of the Source is entirely unjustifiable. As the Sūtra of the Non-Action of All Dharmas (*Sarvadharmāpravṛttinirdeśa) states: "At that time Mañjuśrī said: 'World-Honoured One, after the parinirvāṇa of the Tathāgata King of the Lion's Roar and Drum Sound, at that time there was a bodhisattva monk named Xigen (Pratibhānamati). He was a Dharma master at the time, upright and dignified; he did not disrupt deportment, nor did he abandon worldly dharmas. At that time, sentient beings all had sharp faculties and delighted in hearing profound discourses. That Dharma Master Xigen, in the presence of the assembly, did not praise having few desires, being content, refined conduct, or dwelling in solitude; he taught the assembly only the true mark of all dharmas, which is to say: The nature of all dharmas is itself the nature of covetous desire; the nature of covetous desire is itself the nature of all dharmas; the nature of anger is itself the nature of all dharmas; the nature of foolishness is itself the nature of all dharmas. That Dharma Master Xigen converted sentient beings by such expedient means. The practices of sentient beings were all of one mark, and none criticized another. On the path they practiced, their minds were free of anger and foolishness. Because of the cause and condition of being free of anger and foolishness, they attained the endurance of dharmas and became definitively indestructible within the Buddha-Dharma. / 'World-Honoured One, at that time there was another monk and Dharma master practicing the bodhisattva path, named Shengyi (Viseṣacinti). That monk Shengyi guarded and upheld the prohibitive precepts, attained the four dhyānas and the four formless attainments, and practiced the twelve dhūtas. World-Honoured One, this monk Shengyi had disciples whose minds were frivolous and restless, taking pleasure in seeing the faults of others. World-Honoured One, later on, on one occasion, Bodhisattva Shengyi entered a village to beg for food and by mistake came to the house of a disciple of Xigen. Seeing the householder's son who was the master of the house, he went to his place, spread his mat, and sat down. For the sake of the householder's son, he praised having few desires, contentment, and refined conduct, spoke of the fault of unprofitable speech, and praised those who keep distant from the multitudes and delight in practicing alone. Furthermore, in front of the householder's son, he spoke of the faults of Dharma Master Xigen: "This monk is not genuine; he converts sentient beings by means of wrong-view paths. He is one of mixed practice, saying that lust has no obstruction, anger has no obstruction, foolishness has no obstruction, and all dharmas have no obstruction." / 'This householder's son had sharp faculties and had attained the endurance of the non-arising of dharmas (anutpattikadharmakṣānti). He then said to the monk Shengyi: "Venerable Sir, do you know covetous desire—what dharma is it?" / 'Shengyi said: "Householder, I know covetous desire is an affliction (kleśa)." / 'The householder's son said: "Venerable Sir, is this affliction inside or outside?" / 'The monk Shengyi said: "It is not inside, nor is it outside." / '"Venerable Sir, if covetous desire is not inside and not outside, nor in the east, west, south, north, the four intermediate directions, above, below, or the ten directions, then it is unarisen. If it is unarisen, how can you speak of defilement or purity?" / 'At that time the monk Shengyi was angry and displeased. He rose from his seat, departed, and spoke these words: "This monk Xigen greatly deludes the multitude with false dharmas." / 'Because this man had not trained in entering the Dharma-gate of sounds, when he heard the sounds of the Buddha he was pleased, but when he heard the sounds of non-Buddhists he was angry; when he heard the sounds of the brahma-conduct he was pleased, but when he heard the sounds of non-brahma-conduct he was angry. Because he had not trained in entering the Dharma-gate of sounds... / Up to: 'At that time Bodhisattva Xigen spoke these verses before the saṅgha, saying: / "Covetous desire is nirvāṇa; / Anger and foolishness are also like this. / Within these three matters, / There are immeasurable Buddha-paths. / If someone discriminates / Covetous desire, anger, and foolishness, / That person is far from the Buddha, / Like heaven and earth. / Bodhi and covetous desire / Are one and not two; / Both enter the one Dharma-gate, / Equal and without difference. / Ordinary people hear this and are terrified; / They are very far from the Buddha-path. / Covetous desire does not arise or cease; / It cannot cause affliction to the mind. / If a person has a notion of self / And holds the view of attainment, / That person, on account of covetous desire, / Will enter into the hells. / The true nature of covetous desire / Is itself the nature of the Buddha-Dharma; / The true nature of the Buddha-Dharma / Is also the nature of covetous desire. / These two dharmas are of one mark, / Namely, they are markless. / If one can understand in this way, / One is a guide for the world. / If someone discriminates, / 'This is upholding precepts, this is breaking precepts,' / Deceived by upholding precepts, / They disparage others. / Such a person lacks bodhi / And also lacks the Buddha-Dharma; / They merely dwell and stand / Within the view of having something attained. / If one dwells in an aranya, / Valuing oneself and disdaining others, / One will not even attain rebirth in heaven, / How much less bodhi! / All this is due to clinging to solitude / And abiding in wrong views. / Wrong views and bodhi / Are all equal without difference; / It is only by names and numbers, / Because of words, that they differ. / If a person penetrates this, / They are close to bodhi. / Discriminating the defilement of afflictions / Is itself clinging to the view of purity. / Without bodhi or Buddha-Dharma, / One dwells in the view of having something attained. / If one covets and clings to the Buddha-Dharma, / One is far from the Buddha-Dharma. / Because of coveting unobstructed dharmas, / One returns to experiencing suffering and affliction. / If a person does not discriminate / Covetous desire, anger, and foolishness, / Because they enter into the nature of the three poisons, / They behold bodhi. / Such a person is close to the Buddha-path / And swiftly attains the endurance of the non-arising [of dharmas]. / If one sees conditioned dharmas / As different from unconditioned dharmas, / Such a person will never attain it."